Becket’s Chapel Secures Approval for £1m Extension

A historic Grade I listed chapel is set to receive a £1m extension after planning permission was granted to incorporate a cafe, kitchen, and an information point. Becket’s Chapel, situated in Wymondham, Norfolk, has been owned by the town since the mid-16th century and functioned as a library from the late 1940s until 2009. The objective of this new extension is to attract more visitors to the chapel and to promote the town as a heritage destination. Judith Harwood, chair of Historic Norfolk, stated: “This is a ground-breaking project that, for the first time in Norfolk, aims to demonstrate how historic buildings can be adapted to meet the challenges of climate change.” In 2018, the building was completely redundant and placed on the Heritage at Risk Register, subsequently being purchased by Historic Norfolk in September 2022. The building has now obtained listed building consent and planning permission from South Norfolk Council’s planning committee for the extension, which represents the second phase of construction work at the site. Ms Harwood added: “Working closely with Historic England, we have already taken steps in the first phase of the project to retrofit the chapel, raising the roof to incorporate insulation, removing the concrete flooring, and installing underfloor insulation and heating.” In 2022, the chapel’s concrete flooring was removed and replaced with underfloor heating. It was insulated using foam glass gravel, which was considered a “carbon-friendly” option. The latest work will also involve replacing a gas boiler with air-source heat pumps and installing solar panels on the south-facing roof. She concluded: “These measures will ensure that Becket’s Chapel is both environmentally friendly and economically sustainable for future generations of Wymondham residents and visitors alike.”